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From JSOnline:

Tom Daykin

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Foxconn Technology Group's Wisconsin operations − which shrank from an envisioned transformational development to an ordinary contract manufacturer − have been approved for $8.75 million in annual state tax credits, according to a new state agency report.

The tax credits are for employing 1,114 full-time workers and investing $24.6 million at Foxconn's Racine County operations in 2023, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. report.

Taiwan-based Foxconn in 2023 received $6.3 million in tax credits. It had 1,029 full-time workers and invested more than $26 million at its Mount Pleasant facilities in 2022, according to WEDC.

Then-Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn in 2017 agreed to a $2.85 billion tax incentive package − including state and local funds − if the company met annual hiring and capital investment goals.

Foxconn promised to bring 13,000 high-tech jobs to Wisconsin and create a massive large-screen LCD manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant.

But those plans failed to materialize, and Foxconn instead shifted to contract manufacturing.

A 2021 renegotiated agreement under Gov. Tony Evers' administration allows the company to receive up to $80 million in state tax credits through 2025.

In return, the job target was reduced from 13,000 to 1,454, and Foxconn's estimated capital investment was cut from $10 billion to $672 million.

The company so far has received tax credits totaling $52.5 million since 2000, WEDC records show.

Meanwhile, much of the land acquired for Foxconn has since been sold to Microsoft Corp. for its data center campus.

In May, Microsoft announced it would spend $3.3 billion by 2026 to build a first phase of the project, a threefold increase from the $1 billion it initially said it would spend.

That investment by Microsoft is expected to generate enough property tax revenue to pay back the money spent by Racine County and the Village of Mount Pleasant to acquire land and build roads, sewers, and other infrastructure for the original Foxconn development plan.

Foxconn didn't immediately respond to the Journal Sentinel's request for comment on the latest tax credit award.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2024/12/11/foxconn-gets-8-75-million-in-state-tax-credits-for-jobs-investment/76890058007/

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Mount Pleasant to borrow up to $5M for ECU sewer extension

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

The Mount Pleasant Village Board on Monday approved borrowing up to $5.325 million to extend sewer and water infrastructure servicing the new Educators Credit Union headquarters, pictured in this rendering. 

SUBMITTED PHOTO

MOUNT PLEASANT — The village will borrow up to $5.325 million to extend sewer and water infrastructure servicing the new Educators Credit Union headquarters.water

The $17 million development is planned for East Frontage Road, between Washington Avenue and Spring Street.

The village board approved a resolution to borrow the funds at its meeting Monday.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the adoption of the McGrath Market Update, a compensation study which will include pay raises of at least 3.5% for village employees not meeting market standards, starting Jan. 1, 2025.
• Approved a rezoning request for two parcels at 2500 Newman Road from RL-1 to RE to merge the two parcels and allow for up to two horses on the property.
• Approved the reappointment of Tony Beyer to the Regional Wastewater Commission as an alternate member for a term expiring October 2025.
• Approved the reappointment of Trustee Nancy Washburn and Claude Lois as citizen members to the Regional Wastewater Commission for a term expiring October 2028.
• Approved amendments to development agreements and a promissory note between the village and CCM/Jarimillo LLC.
• Approved a settlement agreement related to FEWI Development Corp. v. Village of Mt. Pleasant, Racine County Case No. 2023CV938.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/sewer-extension-mount-pleasant-educators/article_b977db3c-79d8-11ef-a5db-97babafdeeb0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Environmental groups say Microsoft's data center could harm state's clean energy goals

From JSOnline:

Enviro groups say Microsoft's data center could be a threat to clean air and green energy goals.

Rick Barrett

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A dozen environmental groups are warning that powering a massive Microsoft data center in Mount Pleasant with methane gas power plants would push Wisconsin backwards in the quest for clean energy.

In an open letter to Microsoft on Thursday, the groups, including Sierra Club Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, and Action for the Climate Emergency, called on the company to power its planned data center with local clean energy.

"Right now, We Energies is planning to meet energy demand for the Microsoft data center by spending billions of dollars to build new methane gas power plants and pipelines. It's a massive buildout that will push our state's climate goals out of reach, locking us into 30 more years of fossil fuels at a time when we all know we must rapidly transition to clean energy," the letter notes.

"It will also harm the same communities who have been suffering with coal plant air pollution and dangerous ozone for decades," according to the letter.

The data center is one of the largest facilities of its kind now under construction in the United States. Each center is a collection of thousands of computers connected to the outside world by fiber-optic cables crisscrossing the country and the globe.

Microsoft has said it expects about 300 people to be working at the Mount Pleasant site by 2026 — a mix of contractors and permanent staff. The company has said the number of jobs could ultimately grow to about 2,000. Permanent jobs at data centers include a variety of roles from security guards to technicians and engineers.

The environmental groups say that while they appreciate the jobs, too much will be left on the table unless Microsoft prioritizes clean, homegrown energy.

The company's recently announced plan to help fund a currently unspecified 250-megawatt solar energy project in Wisconsin is a good start but would only represent a fraction of the data center's energy needs, according to the groups.

"There must be more. Other plans to buy out-of-state carbon credits to offset energy use in Wisconsin may technically meet your company's climate goals, but they do nothing to support the badly needed transformation to clean energy here in your new home," their letter says.

"This data center project represents a critical opportunity to help drive change in Wisconsin and put us on a path to clean wind and solar...the window to make meaningful progress in the fight against climate change is closing, and the decisions we make right now matter," it says.

In a statement to the Journal Sentinel regarding the environmental groups' letter, Microsoft said, "As Microsoft works to expand our cloud and AI infrastructure in Wisconsin, we look forward to working with community leaders and stakeholders on achieving our collective sustainability targets. We welcome the opportunity for dialogue on what we appreciate is a critical local need."

There also are deep concerns about water demands tied to the Microsoft project.

When there are thousands of servers packed into a warehouse-like building, it's important to keep equipment cool so that it continues to work. For some data centers, that means industrial-sized fans or air-cooling technology. Other data centers use evaporating water to cool the interior of the warehouse, much like a giant swamp cooler. The Mount Pleasant data center will use both air- and water-based cooling systems, although Microsoft has declined to provide details about the design of the system.

The plan has stirred new tension between Mount Pleasant and the City of Racine, which originally collaborated to assemble more than 1,000 acres of land into the Foxconn industrial park and build crucial water and sewer systems

Lindsay Muscato, a 2023-24 fellow with the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University contributed to this report.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2024/09/20/microsoft-urged-to-use-clean-energy-to-power-mt-pleasant-data-center/75293323007/?tbref=hp

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Milwaukee sewage overflow, beaches closed

From Fox6Now:

MILWAUKEE - A gloomy Monday, Aug. 9 didn't exactly offer "beach weather" in Milwaukee, but health officials still closed two beaches because of combined sewer overflow after heavy rain over the weekend.

Whenever there is a sewage overflow, it prompts a mandatory closure by the Milwaukee Health Department. On Monday, Bradford Beach and Southshore Beach were impacted.

Officials with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District said it was the first overflow of the year.

Carol Schumacher enjoyed a moment of reflection along Milwaukee's lakeshore Monday. 

"I’m native Navajo from Arizona, so this is actually one of our sacred waters that flows through Mother Earth," she said.

She stopped to take videos of the waves, saddened by the reason the beach is closed.

"There has to be a solution.  It’s got to be better than putting it in the waters," said Schumacher.

Intense precipitation in a short period of time is triggering a combined sewer overflow. 

"To reduce the risk of basement backups, the only way you can do that is to have what’s called an overflow, untreated water that goes through a relief valve out in the system, to the nearest creek, stream or river," said Bill Graffin, MMSD spokesman.

That untreated water includes sewage. 

"When we get two inches of rain over 12 or 48 hours, that is typically not a problem," said Graffin. "It’s when you get two to three inches of rain in 20 minutes. It’s the intensity.  It’s trying to slam too much water into the sewer or wherever that will end up causing problems."

It’s then the Health Department’s call to close beaches. 

As of Monday afternoon, the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility was at 98%.  Graffin says $4 billion in investments over the last three decades have helped to significantly cut down on the number of releases.

"Annually, we are averaging, I think it’s 2.4 since 1994," said Graffin. "Prior to that, it was 50 to 60 every year."

For those still dipping their toes in the water, Schumacher said she hopes for balance.

"As natives, water is sacred to us," said Schumacher. "Water is life, so that’s always been a fight."

A great way you can help out at home is by investing in a rain barrel.  That will help cut down on the water that ends up in the sewer, especially during significant rainfalls. Plus, it’s good water conservation and helps the environment.

From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwaukee-sewage-overflow-beaches-closed

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